Clamp and cutter mechanism for knitting machines



June 11, 1963 J. D. MOYER 3,092,936

CLAMP AND CUTTER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1960 4Sheets-Sheet l FlE- l Feed M1. 3

IN VEN TOR. Jame: 0. Mayer A 'ITORNE Y.

June 11, 1963 CLAMP AND Filed Dec. 5. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Pl E- 5 9//2/ /07 M6 /05 //0 m0 f/ Ii 90 a I 6 j o //5 l INVENTOR. w James a Mo erATTORNEY.

June 11, 1963 J. D. MOYER 3,092,986

CLAMP AND CUTTER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1960 4Sheets-Sheet 3 FlE- l fl l3- El I] Hi HIE l 87 l l 42 52 43 mvwa/aa605752555 52 42 455/42 FLE- 7 7 INVEN TOR. James 2 Mayer BY d d/ATTORNEY.

June 11, 1963 J. D. MOYER 3,092,985

CLAMP AND CUTTER MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 5, 1960 4Sheets-Sheet 4 50 72 /4/ w 6272 06 w 54 a;

IN V EN TOR.

James Q Mqyer BY M/QZW A TTORNE Y.

United States Patent Ofiice.

3,@9Z,936 Patented June 11, 1963 3,092,986 CLAMP AND CUTTER MEGHANISMFOR KNITTENG MACHINES James 1). Meyer, Wyomissing, Pa, assignor toTextile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaFiled Dec. 5, 1960, Ser. No. 73,653 15 (Ilainis. (i. 66-146) Thisinvention relates to knitting machines having yarn feeding and changingmechanism employed in forming patterned fabric and more particularly tomeans in such machines for, at certain times, clamping and severing theyarns between the feeding means and the fabric when the yarns are movedto inactive positions, and at other times, preventing the clamping andsevering of the yams when moved to such inactive positions.

In present knitting machines and particularly machines of the typehaving a circular series of needles for knitting patterned tubularfabric such as for stockings, the yarn feeding means is operated bypattern means to introduce the yarns into and to remove them fromknitting action according to the desired pattern. In the usual practice,when a yarn is to be removed from knitting action the feeding finger forthe yarn is raised to position it in the path of clamping and severingmeans. The yarn is then carried, by the last needle to knit it, into theclamping means and between the blades of the severing means which arefirst opened to receive the yarn and then closed to cut the yarn betweenthe clamping means and the fabric under the control of pattern meanshaving the same operating sequence as the pattern means for the yarnfeeding means.

In another form of means for controlling the operation of the severingmeans, such as that shown in my prior U.S. Patent No. 2,924,958, issuedFebruary 16, 1960, the cutting blades of the severing mechanism arenormally maintained in open position by a de-energized solenoid and ayarn upon being taken out of action is then carried in the usual mannerinto the clamping means and between the open cutting blades followingwhich the yarn engages and operates a switch to energize and operate thesolenoid to close the cutting blades and sever the yarn.

The above referred to clamping and severing means are suitably adaptedto the knitting of design patterns of the type generally referred to asArgyle or Intarsia in which the yarns forming the pattern areas remainin active position until completion of the pattern area before beingremoved from action and clamped and severed as above set forth. However,in knitting patterns such as Argyle patterns having overplaid designsincorporated therein, the yarns forming the overplaid designs are movedbetween active and inactive or non-knitting positions to momentarilyidle these yarns but must not be clamped and cut when so idled althoughit is desirable to clamp and cut them when the patterned area iscompleted. Hence, the use of the prior clamping and severing mechanismswere unsuitable for use on machines knitting such patterns as they couldnot distinguish between momentarily idled yarns and yarns which shouldbe clamped and cut. Consequently, on machines for knitting patternshaving overplaid and like designs all forms of clamping and cuttingmechanism were eliminated and the stocking fabrics were knit inso-called string form in which all of the yarns used in each individualfabric float at the inside of the fabric from the point they are removedfrom knitting action to the point they are reintroduced into the samefabric or in the next fabric in the string. This not only results in aconsiderable waste of yarns but also necessitates additional operationsto sever the individual fabrics from each other and to sever the wasteyarn floats from the fabrics thereby substantially increasing the costof the completed fabric.

It is an object of the invention to provide a circular knitting machinewith means which will overcome the above mentioned and other objectionsin the formation of design patterns in knitted fabric which require theyarns to be moved to idle non-knitting position without being severedfrom the fabric.

Another object is the provision of means acting in conjunction with theyarn clamping and severing means of a circular knitting machine whichmeans acts to prevent the clamping and severing of yarns moved totemporary inactive idled positions during the formation of a knittedfabric while permitting the clamping and severing of yarns moved toinactive position for removal from the fabric.

A further object is the provision, in a circular knitting machine havingmeans for clamping and severing yarns moved to non-knitting position, ofa guard member and means which acts at times to position the guardmember in the path of yarns moved to momentary non-knitting positions toprevent the entrance thereof into the clamp ing and severing means andat other times acts to move the member out of the path of yarns moved tonon knitting position to permit their entrance into the clamping andsevering means to be clamped and severed thereby.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from thefollowing detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of theinvention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides inthe novel elements, features of construction and arrangement of parts incooperative relationship as hereinafter more particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a multifeed circularknitting machine having mechanism according to the instant inventionincorporated therein;

FIG. 2 is a view on an enlarged scale taken in the direction of thearrows 2-2 on FIG. 1, certain parts being shown in elevationtion andother par-ts being shown in cross section.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 taken in thedirection indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of the mechanism shown in FIG. 2with a portion of a cover member of the mechanism being broken away;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIG. 4with the parts being shown in difierent positions relative to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional View taken substantially along the line 66of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a detail view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 77 ofFIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 4 inthe direction indicated by the arrows;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 99 of FIG. 4 inthe direction indicated by the arrows; and

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line1l3-1tl of FIG. 4 in the direction indicated by the arrows.

The mechanism of the instant invention is shown as applied to amultifeed circular knitting machine of the type disclosed in theapplication of Benjamin Franklin Coile, Serial No. 329,801, filedJanuary 6, 1953, and in the corresponding British Patent No. 790,141published February 5, 1958, hereinafter collectively referred to as theCoile Disclosure, to which reference may be made for details ofconstruction and operation not shown herein.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings the machine of said CoileDisclosure includes neddles 15 which are slidably mounted for verticalmovement in slot 16 in needle cylinder 17 which is adapted for bothrotary and aosaeee reciprocating moton. Co-operating with the needlesare sinkers or web holders which are supported for horizontal slidingmovement between the needles in radial slots in an inner ring 21 securedto the upper edge of the needle cylinder 17 and an outer ring 22 securedto flange 25 projecting from the cylinder. The sinkers 28 are maintainedin position in the slots by a ring member 26 having cams, one of whichis shown at 27 in FIG. 2, for operating the sinkers and the needles areoperated by cams (not shown) to co-operate with the sinkers to formyarns into fabric loops in a common manner at each of the feeds.

Yarns such as indicated at 30 (FIG. 6) are fed to the needles 15 throughyarn fingers 31 a each of four feeding stations indicated generally asfeed Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the fingers being pivotally mounted formovement between a lowered or active position in which the yarns aretaken by the needles and knitted into loops and a raised inactive ornon-knitting position. The fingers 31 at each of the feeding stationsare supported for their pivotal movements in a bracket 32 secured to thering member 25 and are operated bet-ween the active and in activepositions by a button drum 35 rotatably mounted on a shaft 36. The endsof the shaft 36 are secured to arms 37 which are adjustable carried onvertically extending studs 49 secured in fixed positions on the machine.The button drum 35 is rotated in a stepwise manner by an associated pawland ratchet device 41 mounted on the shaft 35 and the pawl and ratchetdevice is selectively operated by connections from main pattern drums(not shown) of the machine. With the exception of the arrangement of thebuttons on the drum 35, the operating means for the fingers 31 at eachof the four feed stations are identical and are given like referencecharacters.

Normally when fingers 31 at any of the feed stations are in inactivepositions, the ends of the yarns thereof are held against the uppersurface of a binder plate 42 by spaced clamping members 45 and 46forming a part of a yarn clamping and severing device indicated at 47(FIGS. 2, 4 and 6), there being one such device for each station. Theclamping member 45, which is pivotally mounted on a shouldered stud 43and held in clamping engagement with the binder plate by a spring 44connected between a portion 39 of the clamping member and a fixed partof the device 47, is adapted to be moved to inactive position forpurposes of and in a manner hereinafter set forth. The clamping member46 on the other hand is mounted for pivotal movement but is maintainedin resilient clamping engagement with the yarns therebeneath at alltimes by a spring 49 (FIGS. 4 and 10). The binder plate 42 is secured toa framework 48 including a central block 53, fins 54 extending upwardlyand outwardly therefrom and an upper supporting plate 58, these partsbeing similar in construction and function to the corresponding parts inmy said Patent No. 2,924,958. The framework is supported centrally ofthe needle cylinder 17 by an arm 50' secured on a bracket 51. Thebracket 51 is mounted in fixed vertically adjusted position on one ofthestuds 49 at lfeed station No. 2 and an' adjacent stud at feed stationNo. 3 (FIGS. 1 and 2). When a yarn finger 31 is moved to active yarnfeeding position to feed its yarn to the needles 15 the end of the yarnis withdrawn from its held position between the binder plate 42 andclamping members 45, 46 and, Where the yarn is-fed to a selected portionof the needles as in the formation of an Argyle or Intarsia patternarea, the yarn extending from the finger to the last needle to knitduring opposite reciprocatory strokes of the needle cylinder 17 iscarried back and forth beneath the binder plate. Upon movement of afinger 31 to inactive position, on the other hand, the yarn thereof israised above the binder plate and is carried by the last needle to knitit as the cylinder 17 rotates or reciprocates in a forward orcounterclockwise direction, beneath the clamping member which has beenraised to inactive position, in the manner hereinafter set forth, andbetween the binder plate and the clamping member 46.

As the needle cylinder continues to rotate the yarn is carried between alower cutting blade 52 which is secured in fixed position to the block53 and an upper cutting blade 55 pivot-ally mounted on a stud 55 securedin the block, the latter stud also acting to support the stud 43 onwhich the clamping member 45 is mounted (FIGS. 4 and 6). The blade 55 isprovided with a tail portion 57 which is connected by means of a rod orlink 60 to the lower end of a core member 61 of a solenoid 62 secured tothe fins 54 of the framework 48, as shown in FIG. 8. The solenoid 62 isconnected into a main source of electrical energy of the machine througha normally open micro-switch 65 which is secured to a portion of theframework 48, as shown in FIG. 10. A contact button 66 of themiero-switch 65 is adapted'to be operated by a pivoted arm 67 whichextends downwardly to overlie the contact button and into an opening 70formed in the binder plate 42. In the de-energized state of thesolenoid- 62 the core member 61 is biased downwardly by a spring 71against a plate portion 72 extending horizontally from the fins 54(FIGS. 4 and 9) and acts through the link 60' to hold the cutting blade55 in open position relative to the cutting blade 52. Following thepassage of the yarn between the cutting blades 52 and 55, ashereinbefore set forth, the yarn engages and operates the arm 67 todepress thebutton 66 to close the micro-switch 65 thereby closing theelectrical circuit to energize the solenoid 62. Energization of thesolenoid 62 raises the core member 61, as viewed in FIG. 4, and throughthe link 6% acts to move the cutting blade 55 to closed position tosever the yarn. The clamping and severing means for the yarns at each ofthe four feed stations is identical and like parts are given the samereference characters. The construction and operation of the clamping andcutting means,-

with the exception of its co-operation with mechanism of the instantinvention, is substantially the same as that shown in my said priorPatent No. 2,924,958.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when a yarn finger 31 is raisedto inactive position at any one of the four feed stations, the yarnthereof is automatically clamped and severed. While this method ofclamping and severing the yarns Worked well in the formation of solidcolor patterns in tubular fabric in which the yarn forming each patternarea remained in active position as so far described. Consequently inmachines for form-- ing such patterns, clamping and severing of theyarns, heretofore, had to be entirely eliminated.

As described in said Patent No. 2,948,131 and as shown herein in orderto knit the overplaid pattern, mechanism is provided whereby certain ofthe fingers 31 at each of the four feed stations, after being moved toactive position by their associated button drums 35, are additionallymoved between active and inactive positions during individualreciprocatory knitting strokes in forming the vdesign patterns asmentioned above. The mechanism. provided for this purpose comprises aring member 75v having pairs of suitably spaced cams 76 which areadapted to coact with pins 77 on the end fingers of the group of fingersat each of the stations. The ring member 75 is adapted to be moved bymeans operating in timed relation 'to the movement of the needlecylinder to alternately In operating the fingers 31 to form designpatterns in accordance with said Patent No. 2,948,131, a main yarnfinger 31 is moved to active position at each of feed stations Nos. 1and 3 and the end fingers at each of feed stations Nos. 2 and 4 aremoved to active position by the respective but-ton drums 35 at thesestations. During each knitting stroke a course of the main yarn isformed at each of stations Nos. 1 and 3 in each of an opposed pair ofmain pattern areas and during alternate single ones or alternate pairsof the same knitting strokes the ring member 75 is positioned to moveone of the end fingers at each of the stations Nos. 2 and 4 to inactiveposition while the yarns of the active fingers at the latter stationsform an overplaid design in the pattern areas formed at stations 1 and3. During the intervening stroke or pairs of strokes the ring member 75is moved to reverse the active and inactive positions at the stationsNos. 2 and 4 for incorporation of the yarns of the active fingers in thepattern areas formed at stations Nos. 1 and 3. At the completion of thepattern areas at stations Nos. 1 and 3 the fingers 31 at all of thestations are moved to inactive positions by the button drums and thelatter then act to move a main yarn finger at each of stations Nos. 2and 4 and the end fingers at each of stations Nos. 1 and 3 to activeposition and the fingers at the stations are operated in the abovemanner to form an in-between opposed pair of main pattern areas and jointhe sutures thereof to the sutures of the first pair of pattern areas.

In accordance with the instant invention guard means is provided inconjunction with the clamping and severing means as heretofore describedand generally as shown in my said Patent No. 2,924,958, which acts toprevent the clamping and severing of yarns when they are in inactivepositions except when the yarns are moved to such inactive position tobe removed from the fabric. The means for this purpose at each clamp andcutter device 47 includes a rod 80 having a lower offset end portion 81adapted to be inserted within an opening 82 in the binder plate 42 (FIG.7) when the rod is in its lower or active position. The rod 89 extendsupwardly and is guided for vertical movement between a lower activeposition and a raised inactive position in openings 85 and 8 6 in theplate 72 and the upper plate 58 of framework 48 respectively, as shownin FIG. 5. A block 87 secured to the upper end of the rod is adapted toengage the upper surface of the upper plate 58 of the framework 48 tolinn't the downward movement or" the rod to its active position. Theblock 87 is connected to one end of a flexible cable 911 which is guidedfor sliding movement in a flexible sheath 91. One end of the flexiblesheath is fixedly supported in a flange 92 which is carried on a portion95 of the framework 48 and is secured to the arm 59 as by screw 96, andthe other end of the sheath is fixed in the arm 50 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

At its other end the cable 90 is pivotally connected to one arm 97 of alever 100 supported for pivotal movement on a rod 101 which is in turnsupported in arms 102 projecting from the bracket 51. A second arm 105of the lever 160 is provided with a follower end 1495 which is adaptedto be engaged by buttons 1117 on a drum 119 (FIGS. 1 and 3). The drum110 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 111 supported in the arms 1192 ofthe bracket 51. A ratchet wheel 112 seemed to one end face of the drum110 is adapted to be acted on by a pawl 115 to turn the drum stepwise tosequently advance the buttons 107 into engagement with the lever 1%. Thepawl is pivotally mounted on one arm 116 of a lever 117 which is in turnpivotally mounted on the shaft 111 between the ratchet wheel 112 and acollar 12!) secured to the shaft. A spring 121 connected between thepawl 115 and the arm 116 maintains the pawl in engagement with the teethof the ratchet wheel 112.

In order to operate the lever 117 and pawl 115 to advance the ratchetwheel 112 and drum 110 a second arm 122 of the lever is connected by alink 125 to an operating linkage which is controlled and operated fromone of the main pattern drums and the quarter turn shaft of the machine(not shown), the operating linkage being similar to that shown in satidCoile Disclosure for the link 608. The drum 119 is restrained in itsadvancing movements by a friction device 126 which is mounted on theshaft 111 for engagement with the end face of the drum remote from theend face of the drum to which the ratchet wheel is secured (FIG. 1).

During the alternate movement of the yarn fingers to inactive positionby the ring member 75, as and for the purpose set forth, the rod 30 isin its lower active position of FIG. 7 with the end portion 81 thereofin the opening 82 whereby the yarn of the inactive finger although beingotherwise in a position to enter the clamping and cutting means, will beprevented from doing so by the rod. When, however, the yarn fingers areto be raised to inactive position by their associated button drum 35 forthe purpose of removing the yarns thereof from the fabric as at thecompletion of a pattern area the drum 1111 is indexed to advance abutton 1117 beneath the lever 1110 thereby operating the lever to raisethe rod to its inactive position and remove the end portion 81 of therod from the opening 82. Simultaneously with the raising movement of therod 80 a member 127 secured to and projecting from the rod andunderlying an arm 130 of the clamping member 45 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 7) actsto also raise this clamping member to permit the free movement of theinactivated yarns therebeneath. A latch lever 131 pivotally mounted on astud 132 secured to a portion of the framework 48 (FIGS. 4 and 9) has anoffset portion 135 which is adapted to be moved beneath a block 136secured to the rod 80 to momentarily support the rod in its raisedposition for purposes hereinafter set forth. The latch lever 131 ismoved to position the offset portion 135 beneath the block 136 by aspring 137 which is connected between a tail portion 140 of the latchlever 131 and a fixed part of the framework 48.

Following the raising of the rod 89 and the clamp 45 and the latching ofthe rod as above set forth. the drum 111) is indexed to remove thebutton 107 from engagement with the lever 1013 and the yarn finger orfingers are moved to inactive position by the button drum 35. Thereuponas the needle cylinder 17 is rotated in a forward direction the yarn iscarried beneath the upraised end 81 of the rod 80, beneath the raisedclamping member 45 and the clamping member 46 and thence between theopen cutter blades 52, 55 and into engagement with the arm 67 to operateand close the switch 65. Closing of the switch 65 closes and energizesthe electrical circuit to the solenoid 62 to move the core member 61upwardly, as viewed in FIG. 4, and move the cutter blade 55 to closedposition to sever the yarn. Simultaneously with the upward movement ofthe core member 61, a pin 141 is carried in the lower end of the coremember en ages the tail portion 140 and turns the latch lever 131 toremove the oifset portion 135 from beneath the block 136. Thereupon, acompression spring 142 mounted on the rod 80, between the block 136 andupper plate 58 of the framework 48 acts to move the rod downwardly toits active position in which the end portion 81 of the rod is againinserted within the opening 82 in the plate 42. Simultaneously with thedownward movement of the rod 81 the clamping member 45 is again movedinto clamping engagement with the yarns under the influence of thespring 44. It is to be understood that the rod 80 associated with theclamping and severing means for the yarns at each of the feed stationsand the operating means therefor, as above set forth, are identical andlike parts are given like reference characters.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the rod 80 associated with eachfeed station, when in its lowered active position, will prevent yarnsmoved to idled or inactive position from entering the clamping andcutting means and that the rods must be raised to inactive position topermit the idled yarns to be clamped and severcd.-

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown anddescribed by which the above described results are obtained can bechanged and modified in vari ous ways without departing from theinvention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatableneedle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fedby said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarnfeeding means to move the yarns fed thereby beween knitting andnon-knitting positions, yarn severing means, and means for operatingsaid yarn severing means to sever yarns in said non-knitting position,in combination with guard meanshaving an active position to preventengagement of yarns with said severing means when said yarns are innon-knitting position and an inactive position, means for holding saidguard means in said active position, and means for moving said guardmeans to said inactive position against the action of said holdingmeans.

2. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatablecylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder for forming yarnsfed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving saidyarn feeding means to move yarn fed thereby between knitting andnon-knitting positions, means for severing said yarns when in saidnon-knitting position, means for clamping said yarns when in saidnon-knitting position, operating means for satid yarn severing means,control means for said operating means, said control means beingactuated by said yarns when in said non-knitting position, guard meanshaving an active position to prevent said yarns from entering saidclamping means and actuating said control means when satd yarns are insaid non-knitting position and an inactive position, spring means formoving said guard means to said active position, and means for movingsaid guard means to said inactive position against the action of saidspring means.

3. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatablecylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder for forming yarnsfed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving saidyarn feeding means to move said yarns between knitting and non-knittingpositions, means for clamping said yarns when in said non-knittingposition, severing means, means for operating sa-tid severing means tosever said yarns when in non-knitting position, guard means, means formoving said guard means to an active position in which it prevents saidyarns from entering said clamping means and said severing means whensaid yarns are in non-' knitting position, means for moving said guardmeans to inactive position to permit said yarns to be clamped andsevered by said clamping means and said severing means when said yarnsare in non-knitting position, means for latching said guard means insaid inactive position, and means for releasing said latching means fromsaid guard means to permit movement thereof to active position.

4. In a machine according to claim 3 in which said releasing meanscforsaid latching means comprises said operating means for said severingmeans.

5. In a machine according to claim 3 in which the operation of saidreleasing means for said latching means is controlled by the yarns movedto said non-knitting position.

6. In a machine according to claim 3 in which the operation of saidoperating means for said severing means is controlled by the yarn-smoved to said non-knitting position.

7. In a machine according to claim 3 in which said clamping meanscomprises a clamping member movable between an active position toclampsaid yarns and an inactive position, and said clamping member ismoved to said inactive position by said guard member duringmovementthereof to inactive position.

8. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding,

means, a rotatable needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder forforming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means formoving said yarn feeding means to move the yarn fed thereby betweenknitting and nonknitting positions, a yarn severing means, and means foroperating said yarn severing means to sever yarns in said non-knittingposition, in combination with guard means having an active position toprevent engagement of yarns with said severing means when said yarnsarein non-knitting position, and pattern means for moving said guard meansto inactive position.

9. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, a rotatableneedle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for forming yarns fedby said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for moving said yarnfeeding means to move the yarn fed thereby between knitting andnonknitting positions, yarn severing means, and means for operating saidyarn severing means to sever yarns in said non-knitting position, incombination with guard means having an active position to preventengagement of yarns with said severing means when said yarns. are innon-knitting position, pattern means for moving said guard means toinactive position, latch means for latching said guard means in saidinactive position, means for operating said latch means to release saidguard means for movement to active position, and means for moving saidguard means to said active position.

10. In a machine according to claim 9 in which said means for operatingsaid latch means to release said guard means comprises said operatingmeans for saidv severing means.

11. In a machine according to claim 9 in which said means for movingsaid guard means to said active position comprises spring means.

12. In a circular knittingmachine having yarn feeding means, a rotatablecylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder for forming yarnsfed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, -means for moving saidyarn feeding means to move yarns fed thereby between knitting andnon-knitting positions, means for severing said yarns when in saidnon-knitting position, means for clamping said yarns when in saidnon-knitting position, operating means for said yarn severing means,control means for said operating means, said control means beingactuated by said yarns when in said non-knitting position, guard meanshaving an active position to prevent said yarns from entering saidclamping means and actuating said control means when said yarns are insaid nonknitting position, means for moving said guard means to saidactive position, and pattern means for moving said guard means toinactive position.

13. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, arotatable cylinder, needles slidably mounted in said cylinder forforming yarns fed by said feeding means into knitted fabric, means formoving said yarn feeding means to move yarns fed thereby betweenknitting and non-knitting positions, means for severing said yarns,

ments of said clamping means, means for moving said guard means toactive position, means for moving said guard means to inactive position,and means for moving one of said clamping members to inactive positionto permit said yarns to pass therebeneath when said yarns are in saidnon-knitting position when said guard means is moved to said inactiveposition.

14. In a machine according to claim 13 in which said means for movingsaid one of said clamping members comprises said guard means.

15. In a circular knitting machine having yarn feeding means, arotatable needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder for formingyarns fed to said feeding means into knitted fabric, means for movingsaid feeding means to move the yarns fed thereby between knitting andnon knitting positions, yarn clamping means including a clamping membermovable between an active yarn clamping position and an inactiveposition to receive yarns moved to non-knitting positions, means formoving said clamping member to inactive position, yarn severing meansincluding a cutting blade movable between open and closed position,means for moving said cutting blade to open position to receive yarnsmoved to non-knitting position, means for moving said cutting blade toclosed position to sever said yarns moved to nonknitting position, guardmeans movable between active and inactive positions, said guard meansacting when in active position to prevent yarns moved to non-knittingpositions from entering said clamping means, means for moving said guardmeans to inactive position, and means for controlling the operation ofsaid last mentioned moving means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,270,432 Fregeolle Jan. 20, 1942 2,924,958 'Moyer Feb. 16, 19602,948,131 Levin Aug. 9', 1960

12. IN A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE HAVING YARN FEEDING MEANS, AROTATABLE CYLINDER, NEEDLES SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CYLINDER FORFORMING YARNS FED BY SAID FEEDING MEANS INTO KNITTED FABRIC, MEANS FORMOVING SAID YARN FEEDING MEANS TO MOVE YARNS FED THEREBY BETWEENKNITTING AND NON-KNITTING POSITIONS, MEANS FOR SEVERING SAID YARNS WHENIN SAID NON-KNITTING POSITION, MEANS FOR CLAMPING SAID YARNS WHEN INSAID NON-KNITTING POSITION, OPERATING MEANS FOR SAID YARN SEVERINGMEANS, CONTROL MEANS FOR SAID OPERATING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS BEINGACTUATED BY SAID YARNS WHEN IN SAID NON-KNITTING POSITION, GUARD MEANSHAVING AN ACTIVE POSITION TO PREVENT SAID YARNS FROM ENTERING SAIDCLAMPING MEANS AND ACTUATING SAID CONTROL MEANS WHEN SAID YARNS ARE INSAID NONKNITTING POSITION, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GUARD MEANS TO SAIDACTIVE POSITION, AND PATTERN MEANS FOR MOVING SAID GUARD MEANS TOINACTIVE POSITION.